Brake for cars.



No. 803,264. PATENTED OUT. 31, 1 905.

w. BALKB.

BRAKE FOR CARS.

APPLIGATION FILED mm 27, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 803,264. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

W. BALKE.

BRAKE FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IV a Z Zia/m .Eaz' 1 6 WILLIAM BALKE, OF CLINTON, MISSOURI.

BRAKE FOR CARS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed June 2'7, 1905. Serial No. 267,299.

T0 and whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BALKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clinton, in the county of Henry and State of Missouri,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brakes for Cars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to improvements in brake mechanismfor railwaycars, and includes novel means securing a peculiarcooperation, broadly, between the'opcrating mechanism of the air-brakeand manually-operated means for said brake.

The essential feature of the invention is comprised in the structure ofthe mechanism whereby the air may be applied in the customary way to setthe air-brake, and meansspecially devised for the purpose employed forlooking or holding the air-brake set, said means coacting with themanually-operated mechanism adapted to set the brakes under certainconditions of service. In other words, the air-brake may be set in theusual way and the same may be held set by merely throwing a suitablelock device into cooperation with the manually-operated mechanism, so asto lock the latter from movement, thereby preventing release of thebrake even though the pressure of the air, is relieved by disconnectingthe train-pipe sections or otherwise.

Under all working conditions the manuallyop'erated brake mechanismcontemplated in the invention is actuated when the air-brake is operatedeither in setting or releasing the same, and in this construction willbe noted an important feature of the invention, as will be pointed outmore clearly as the description I proceeds.

view showing the weight-dog holding the pawl out of engagement with theratchet-wheel of the brake-shaft. Fig. 3 is plan view showing thearrangement of the brake-levers and connections, the brake parts shownas when the brakes are set. Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 3, thebrake parts being arranged as when the brakes are released. Fig. 5 is abroken View showing a foot-lever connected for operation of theoperating-rod.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

' Referring to the drawings describing those parts of the constructionshown included in the invention, the numeral 1 designates abrake-cylinder which will be supplied with compressed air in thecustomary way, the piston-rod 2 of the piston in said cylinder beingconnected to a main brake-lever 3, fulcrumed between its ends to abrake-rod 4:, which runs to the rear truck of the car by which thecylinder 1 is carried. The outer end of the brake-lever 3 has a secondbrakerod 5 pivotally connected thereto, the latter extending in adirection opposite the rod 4: and running to the front truck of the car,as will be obvious. The end of the lever 3 opposite that connected withthe rod 5 is pivoted to an adjacent end of an auxiliary lever 6, mountedin a fulcrum 7, which is carried by a transverse needle-beam 8.

It will be noted that the air-operated means for setting the brake isdirectly connected with the lever 3. The hand or manually operatedmechanism, however, is connected more directly with the auxiliary lever6, and for this purpose spaced rods 9 and 10 are connected with oppositeends of the lever 6, one end of the rod 10 being pivoted to the outerend of the lever 6, while the corresponding end of the rod 9 ispivotally connected with the levers 6 and 3 by the pivotal connection11, which connects these two levers. The brake-rods 9 and 10 areflexibly connected at one end by a chain 12, and this chain passes abouta sprocket-wheel 13, mounted on the brake-shaft 14, said brake-shaft 14being of the common type employed upon freight and similar cars atpresent in use. A brake-wheel 15 is carried by the upper end of thebrakeshaft 14, and near the lower end of said brakeshaft 14 is securedthe 'ratchetwheel 16, adapted to be engaged by a pawl 17. The pawl 17 ispivoted between its ends, as shown at 18, and said pawl is adapted to beheld either in or out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel 16 by aweight-dog 19, the latter being pivoted above the pawl and weighted atone end. When the weighted end portion of the dog 19 is disposed uponthe outer end of the pawl 17, said pawl will be held disengaged from theratchet-wheel 16, whereas when the weighted end of the dog 19 issupported by the engaging end of the pawl the said pawl is caused toremain in engagement with said ratchet-wheel. When the brake mechanismis employed upon the usual construction of freight-cars, it is preferredto utilize an operating-rod 20 for actuating the dog 19, said rod 20being connected at its lower end with the weighted end of the dog 19,the upper end of the rod projecting a short distance above the top ofthe car and having a suitable handle 21 affixed thereto. The rod 21willbe held in place by a bracket 22 applied to the front of the car,and it will be understood that on low cars the rod 20 is also used.

The construction of the brake mechanism having been set forth before,the operation and advantages thereof will be pointed out. The manuallyand air operated means for actuating the brakes may be used in thecustomary way when the cars are in motion, as it will be apparent thatwhenever it is desired to apply the brakes the air admitted tothecylinder 1 will actuate the brake --lever 3, which is directly connectedwith the brakebeams of the front and rear trucks by the rods 4. Ofcourse when the brakes are'set by air and operated as above describedthe movement of the brake-lever 3 under themtuation of the piston-rod 2will impart movement to the brake-lever 6and will cause revolution ofthe brake-shaft :14 through the connection established by the members 9,10, and part 12. In like manner should it be desired to apply the brakesby handthe brake-shaft 14 can be readily operated in the usual way bygrasping the wheel 15 and turning the same. The particular advantagearising from the cooperation of the manually and air =operatedmechanisms, however, is apparent whereit is desired to apply thebrakeswith great force and keep the same set afterthe trainhas been stopped,for instance. The above may be done automatically, as t'hedog 19 may bethrown into a position upon the pawl 17 to cause said pawl to remain inengagement with the ratchet-wheel-16. When engaged with theratchet-wheel 16, the pawl 17 will hold the brakes set after the samehave beenoperated by the air-operated means,

because of the fact that as soon as the brakerods 4 and 5 are actuatedon admission of air disconnecting cars or otherwise. be lefton sidingsfor loading andot'her pur- 6 5 turning to release the brakes even thoughthe air-pressure in thecylinder 1 be relieved "by (Ears may poses andthe brakes set by'air previous to as shown in Fig.- 5.

leavingsaid cars, andthere is, little likelihood of tampering with thebrakes by boys, so as to release the same and give rise to likelihood ofmovement of the cars from the siding, and accident. To release thebrakes after the same have been set will require the strength of a man,because of the great power applied when said brakes are operated by theair-operated'm'eans; When the cars are taken up by a train, thepreferred manner of releasing the brakes is to have the engineer admitair to the cylinders of the cars, so as to hold the brakes set, theweight-dogs 19 having previously been thrown upon the outerrends of theipawls 17. As soon as the air-pressure is admittedtothe cylindersthemembers 19 will throw the pawls 17 out of engagement with theratchet-wheels 16, and the engineer may then release the-air andthebrakes will be free.

1 It will be seen that thelocki-ng or holding ==means for holding thebrakes set will operate automatically when the members 19 have beenthrown upon the engaging ends :of the pawls 17, :and' in releasing thebrakes it is not necessary for the trainmen to go on top of the cars toaccomplish the :same by hand, as the members 19 may bethrown off of theengaging ends of the pawls 17 by a trainman'at a side "of the cars, thisaccomplishing a great saving of time and labor, and various otheradvantages arise from the construction before men tioned.

The sprocketor ratchet wheel carried by the brake-shaft may be reversed,ifdesired, so that the teeth of the ratchet-wheel will be up or down.When the teeth are-down, likelihood of interference with the operationthere-.

' of by the elements is obviated. The operating-rod'QO may be worked byhand or foot by the provision of a foot-lever 30 or the like, The brakeis of course 'adaptedfor' use on the tenders of locomotives as well ason cars.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Thecombination of a car, an air-brake applied thereto, manually-operatedmeans for setting the brake mechanism andoperable by the air-brake, andlock means coacting with the manually operated means to hold theairbrake set.

- 2. The combination of a car, an air-brake applied thereto,manually-operated means for "setting the air-brake,and'automatically-'operatingimeans coacting with the manually-operatedmeans aforesaidfor holding the brakes setafterthesame'have been appliedby the air- :operated mechanism therefor.

-3. The combination :of a car, an air-brake applied thereto,manually-operated means for setting the air-brakaandautomatically-operating m ean'siooac ting with the manuallybperatedimeans i'aforesaid for holding the brakes set after the samehave beenapplied by the air-operated mechanism therefor and operable by theair-brake mechanism.

4. The combination of a car, an air-brake applied thereto,manually-operated means for setting the air-brake and operable by theairbrake, lock means coacting with the manuallyoperated means to holdthe air-brake set, and means admitting of operation of the air-brakeindependently of the lock means.

5. The combination of a car, an air-brake applied thereto,manually-operated means for setting the air-brakes,automatically-operating lock means coacting With the manually operatedmeans aforesaid for holding the brake set after the same has beenapplied by the air-operating brake means therefor, and means admittingof operation of the air-brake independently of theautomatically-operating lock means.

6. The combination of a car, an air-brake applied thereto and embodyinga pressurecylinder, a brake-lever, a piston-rod connected with thebrake-lever aforesaid, brake-rods connecting said brake-lever with thebrakebeams, and manually-operated means connected with said brake-leverand operable thereby.

7. The combination of a car, an air-brake applied thereto and embodyinga pressurecylinder, a brake-lever, a piston-rod connected with thebrake-lever aforesaid, brake-rods connecting said brake-lever with thebrakebeams, manually-operated means embodying an auxiliary brake-leverconnected With the first-mentioned brake-lever, and brake-rods connectedwith said auxiliary brake-lever.

8. The combination of a car, an air-brake applied thereto and embodyinga pressurecylinder, a brake-lever, a piston-rod connected with thebrake-lever aforesaid, brake-rods 4 connecting said brake-lever with thebrakebeams, manually-operated means connected with said brake-lever andoperable thereby, and lock means cooperating with the manuallyoperatedmeans for holding the brake set after the same has been applied by theair-operated mechanism.

9. The combination of a car, an air-brake applied thereto and embodyinga pressurecylinder, a piston-rod, a brake-lever connected with saidpiston-rod, brake-rods connecting the brake-lever aforesaid with thebrakebeams, asupporting-beam, an auxiliary brakelever fulcrumed to thesupporting-beam and pivotally connected at one end with thefirstmentioned brake-lever, a connection passing about the brake-shaftfor rotation thereof and connected with opposite ends of the auxiliarybrake-lever, and means for locking the brakeshaft from movementincluding a lockingpawl and means for holding said pawl in or out ofcooperation with the brake-shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM BALKE. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

JOHN J. GERAGHTY, S. E. NEALE.

